Metamorphose

Abstract

This work follows the changes in the cultural identity of the Inca princess Zilia in Françoise de Graffigny\u27s epistolary novel Lettres d\u27une péruvienne. It targets the social, as well as the individual aspects of this metamorphosis, offering alternatives for interpretation. Special attention is given to the role played by language as well as by cultural perspectives and products. The individual dimension analyzed includes her relationship with the French chevalier Déterville and her dependence on Aza, the Inca prince. The conclusion this work proposes is the idea that change is inevitable when somebody is faced with a new social environment and a different language